MOZAMBIQUE

At a glance …

With nearly 2,500 km of Indian Ocean coastline, Mozambique is a beach lovers paradise.

Whether you choose a simple diving lodge on the mainland or a luxury retreat on one of the many islands, there is something for everyone.

Mozambique is the perfect destination to relax and unwind after your safari experience. However, Mozambique is also starting to grow as a safari destination in its own right.

At the southern end of the Great Rift Valley lies the Gorongosa National Park. Once one of the richest reserves in Africa, the wildlife was decimated during the long civil war.

Since the end of the war on-going efforts to restore the park have made great strides.

Since 2004 the government of Mozambique and the Carr Foundation have worked tirelessly to restore the park to its former glory. While there is still a long way to go, enormous progress has been made, and once again, wildlife reigns supreme in the park.

In the far north, the Niassa Reserve is a true wilderness. Double the size of the Kruger National Park with little development. This is the ideal spot for those who are looking for complete solitude, and to be at one with nature.

Safari Highlights

Gorongosa National Park

Niassa Reserve

Beyond Safari

Coastal resorts

Benguerra & Bazaruto

Quirimbas Archipelago

Bustling Maputo

Lake Malawi

Something Different

Historic Ibo Island

Dhow charter the Indian Ocean

Snorkling in Lake Malawi

Diving the reefs of the Indian Ocean

Travel info …

MCel, Vodacom and Movitel are the three main mobile service providers in Mozambique. We would recommend if you are looking to get a local sim to use Vodacom or mCel.

You can buy sims for any of the operators all over the place, from their dedicated shops to a wide variety of retailers and street vendors. Although generally safe to buy top up credit from street vendors, we would recommend you purchase a sim from a full shop. You will need your passport to buy the sim and get the seller to register it for you and make sure it is active.

The sim should costs around 20MT – 50MT. Bundles with calls and data are relatively cheap. Coverage is relatively good, especially in towns and along main road routes. Rural areas are far less reliable.

Most of the hotels and lodges in Mozambique offer wifi facilities somewhere on the property. If you are visiting Mozambique purely for a beach stay, the likelihood is that your resort will offer free wifi, and you are unlikely to need to get a local sim.

There are no required vaccines for visiting Mozambique (except Yellow Fever – see below) – however, some medical sources recommend that travellers inoculations against Hepatitis A, Tetanus and Typhoid. In February of 2017 there was an outbreak of cholera in certain parts of the country. However, this is unlikely to affect most travellers unless you are doing a lot of overland travel. As always, it is best to consult your doctor.

In line with the International Health Regulations (2005), Mozambique requires a valid yellow fever certificate from all citizens and non-citizens (over one year of age) travelling from a yellow fever risk country. Vaccination certificates are routinely checked at the Mozambican port of entry for travellers arriving from countries designated as high risk for yellow fever transmission. Please note that if you are coming from a yellow fever risk country that you need to carry your yellow fever certificate with you!

Year round we recommend you take anti-malaria medications, for all areas. While the risk is definitely lower on the islands than the mainland, there is still a risk. Please consult your doctor.

While generally considered safe, there is relatively common threat of petty theft in Mozambique, with some incidents of aggravated assault. However, these are generally in the large cities, and not often targeted at tourists.

Do not carry large sums of money with you, or conspicuous amounts of jewellery/camera equipment etc. Avoid walking at night if possible, especially in larger towns and cities.

The travel itinerary for many people to Mozambique involves flying into and out of specific locations – especially the islands. The safety concerns in these areas is very low.

As with all other destinations, be aware of your surroundings, and if a situation doesn’t feel right move on.

If you have questions you can follow the official advise of the British Foreign Office here and the US Sate Department here.

The Metical (plural Meticais)is the official currency of Mozambique. It is abbreviated at MZN, MTC or MT. 1 Metical is made up of 100 centavos. The Metical comes in notes of MT20, MT50, MT100, MT200, MT500 and MT1,000. Coins are issued in 1c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, MT1, MT2, MT5 and MT10.

In southern Mozambique most lodges, hotels, adventure centres and larger restaurants and tourist shops will display prices in South African Rand or US$, and you can use these currencies readily. The smaller shops and vendors may only accept Meticais, so it is good to carry some of each.

In central and northern Mozambique the South African Rand is unlikely to be accepted and prices will be quoted in US$ or Metacais.

Note if you are using US$ they must be recent (no older than 8 years) and preferably in good condition.

ATM/cash point machines are available in most towns, and main airports. Credit card usage is limited and more in the larger establishments and lodges/resorts. The best card to use in Mozambique is VISA, although more places in Maputo and large towns are accepting Mastercard now. We do not recommend American Express or Diners.

There are no special conditions for travelling to Mozambique. However, as many visitors to Mozambique travel via South Africa, please refer to the South Africa page for relevant information on travelling to South Africa with children.

In Mozambique the standard voltage is 220 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. You can use your electric appliances in Mozambique, if the standard voltage in your country is in between 220 – 240 V (as is in the UK, Europe, Australia and most of Asia and Africa). If the standard voltage in your country is in the range of 100 V – 127 V (as is in the US, Canada and most South American countries), you may need a voltage converter in Mozambique. Many small electronic devices now have dual voltage converters as standard.

The standard plug in Mozambique is a two round pinned plug as show above – often referred to as a type C. Also usable is a type F. There are some Type M sockets (as used in South Africa), however, these are generally only in the south and Maputo We suggest travelling with an adaptor – although most hotels and lodges will be able to assist (a deposit may be required).

Mozambique stretches from Tanzania in the north to Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa in the south. Despite the vast north – south stretch, the country has a fairly standard weather pattern.

The general rule of thumb is a rainy season from late November through until March / April. During this period rain is frequent, temperatures high and therefore high humidity as well. Day time temperatures will generally peak in the low 30°s (centigrade).

Although slightly protected by Madagascar from the main force of weather fronts coming in from the Indian Ocean, the rains can be torrential. It is not unusual for flooding to occur January/February, and many overland routes are disrupted.

From April the rains subside and there are generally clear sunny skies. The temperatures from May to August are the coolest. This does not mean cold, however, you may need a light duvet at night. Day time temperatures will average the mid to upper 20°s. From September temperatures pick up again.

Unquestionably the most popular period for travel is from June to October. However, in the south, the December school holidays are a peak travel period.